A new study from UBC鈥檚 Okanagan campus has found that a toxin linked to several neurodegenerative diseases is present in high concentrations during cyanobacteria blooms in Lake Winnipeg.

鈥淐yanobacteria blooms have become increasingly common in Lake Winnipeg since the 1990s,鈥� said Susan Murch, associate professor of chemistry and study lead author.

鈥淭hese bacteria have also been known to produce BMAA under the right conditions and we wanted to establish whether this could be happening in one of Canada鈥檚 largest and most important freshwater lakes.鈥�

Study authors say BMAA has been associated with everything from Alzheimer鈥檚 to ALS and can have serious public health implications if it permeates food and water supplies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult to detect BMAA directly in water samples using current methods,鈥� said Stephanie Bishop, a graduate student in chemistry at UBC Okanagan and study co-author.

Murch and Bishop analyzed samples collected in July and September of 2016 and found that BMAA was present in highest concentrations in the areas of the bloom that are impacted by pollution and farming.

鈥淎gricultural and human activities along with factors like climate change are very likely behind the increased size and frequency of blooms,鈥� said Murch.

鈥淲e now know that with these blooms comes the very real risk of increased exposure to BMAA and the public health impacts that follow.鈥�

She warns that cyanobacterial blooms are not isolated to Lake Winnipeg and that she would expect to see similar results in other fresh water lakes.

鈥淲e hope that an increased awareness of risks of BMAA along with a better understanding of the human impacts on algal blooms will help us better manage the potential consequences to public health,鈥� she said.